Shloka 98

Devanagari script

पञ्चालाय सिताड्राय नमः: शमशमाय च । नमश्नण्डिकघण्टाय घण्टायाघण्टघण्टिने,जो इस विश्वका निर्माण करनेवाले कारीगर, गौरवर्णके शरीरवाले तथा सदा शान्तरूपसे रहनेवाले हैं, जिनकी घण्टाध्वनि शत्रुओंको भयभीत कर देती है तथा जो स्वयं ही घण्टानाद और अनाहतध्वनिके रूपमें श्रवण्गोचर होते हैं उन महेश्वरको प्रणाम है

Transliteration

pañcālāya sitādrāya namaḥ śamaśamāya ca | namaś caṇḍikāghaṇṭāya ghaṇṭāyāghaṇṭaghaṇṭine ||

Translation

ಪಾಂಚಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂಜಿತನಾದ, ಶ್ವೇತಪರ್ವತದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಧಿಷ್ಠಿತನಾದ, ಸದಾ ಶಾಂತ-ಮಂಗಳಸ್ವರೂಪ ಮಹಾದೇವನಿಗೆ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ. ನಂದಿಯ ಗಂಟಾನಾದದ ಅಧಿಪತಿಗೆ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ; ಅವನ ಗಂಟಾಧ್ವನಿ ಶತ್ರುಗಳನ್ನು ಭಯಪಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ; ಅವನೇ ಗಂಟಾನಾದವಾಗಿಯೂ, ಒಳಗಿನ ಅನಾಹತ ನಾದವಾಗಿಯೂ ಶ್ರವಣಗೋಚರನಾಗಿರುವ ಮಹೇಶ್ವರನಿಗೆ ಪುನಃಪುನಃ ಪ್ರಣಾಮ.

Word by Word

• {'pañcālāya': 'to/for the Lord associated with Pañcāla (a region/people)

• an epithet indicating a local seat of worship', 'sitādrāya': 'to/for (him of) the White Mountain

• often read as a Himalayan/holy-mountain epithet', 'namaḥ': 'salutation, homage', 'śama': 'calm, tranquility, pacification', 'śamaśamāya': 'to the one who is (supremely) tranquil/whose nature is tranquility (intensive/reduplicated sense)', 'ca': 'and', 'caṇḍikā': 'the fierce goddess (a form of Devī)

• here in compound suggesting association with Caṇḍikā', 'ghaṇṭā': 'bell

• bell-sound', 'ghaṇṭine': 'to the bell-bearing one / the one characterized by a bell (possessor suffix -in)', 'āghaṇṭa': 'unstruck sound

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mahādeva (Śiva/Maheśvara)
• Pañcāla
• Sitādri (White Mountain)
• Caṇḍikā
• Ghaṇṭā (bell)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents Śiva as both the outer protector who inspires dread in hostile forces and the inner principle of tranquility and subtle sound. Ethically, it links devotion with cultivating śama (calm self-mastery): reverence for the divine becomes a means to steady the mind and face conflict without inner agitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and allied disciplines. Here he recites a hymn of salutation to Maheśvara, invoking regional and symbolic epithets (Pañcāla, Sitādri) and describing the deity through the imagery of bell-sound and unstruck resonance, as part of devotional praise within his teaching.